Her face, like some unreal psychedelic vision, was split into two. There were two noses, two mouths and four eyes, all coming up from one tiny body.

The kitten, called Two Face because of her condition, was born on Tuesday of last week in a litter of six, and seemed to be defying nature simply by living. The condition she was born with, called diprosopus, is a rare congenital defect that leaves little chance of survival.But Two Face, after living a seemingly healthy life for two days, died on Thursday inexplicably. Her owners, Jeffrey and Tammy Oxley of Charleston, West Virginia, have not been able to find out what caused the death.

When the kitten was born, the Oxleys didn’t know what to do. After absorbing the shock of seeing her, they took her to a local shelter, who referred them to a neighboring animal hospital.The Oxleys’ financial circumstances prevented them from paying for a comprehensive exam, and Dr. Erika Drake performed a brief courtesy exam of the kitten.

“Both mouths would meow independent of each other, and at the time, she — they, I’m not sure which — did drink from each mouth without any trouble,” Drake What the main thing is, if there are other abnormalities inside, we don’t know. You can’t tell without having some imaging there.”"The vet said, ‘Well, it probably won’t live,’ but we brought it home,” Jeffrey says. “My wife stayed up with it all night making sure it was eating, feeding it with a bottle just in case.”

The mother cat, named Isabella, took to Two Face more than the others, according to Jeffrey, and seemed to be extra protective of her. Two Face stayed underneath Isabella’s neck “all the time.” Tammy kept watch of the cats overnight, and Jeffrey took over in the morning, observing Two Face nursing on her mother.Suddenly, sometime Thursday afternoon, Two Face stopped moving. The Oxleys wish they could find out what really happened to her, but don’t know if they will ever be able to. Isabella and the other kittens are behaving normally, however, and the kittens should all be adopted out soon.

(source)

(source)

Studies in the past have shown that wolves are smarter than domesticated dogs when it comes to solving spatial problems, and now new research has shown that dingoes also solve the problems well.The dingo is considered a “pure” prehistoric dog, which was brought to Australia tens of thousands of years ago by the Aborigines. While they have in the past been associated with humans, they have adapted to surviving “wild” in the Australian outback.

The dingo lies somewhere between the wolf, its ancient ancestor, and the domestic or pet dog, and has cognitive differences between the two. There has been little research done on dingoes, even though studies would aid in the understanding of the evolution of dogs, and it was unknown whether the dingo was more “wolf-like” or “dog-like”. Researchers in South Australia have now subjected the Australian dingo (Canis dingo) to the classic “detour task,” which has been used by previous researchers to assess the abilities of wolves (Canis lupus) and domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) to solve non-social, spatial problems.

The detour task involves placing a treat behind a transparent or wire mesh fence. The dog can see the food but cannot get to it directly and has to find its way along the fence and through a door and then double back to get the food.

Previous research has shown wolves are adept at solving the problem quickly, while domesticated dogs generally perform poorly and fail to improve significantly even after repeated trials. The wolves were also able to adapt easily when conditions were reversed, but pet dogs also generally fared poorly at this task. Until now dingoes had not been tested, so lead researcher, PhD student Mr. Bradley Smith of the School of Psychology at the University of South Australia, decided to subject 20 sanctuary-raised dingoes (Canis dingo) to the V-shaped detour task, in which a V-shaped fence is the barrier to the treat (a bowl of food) placed at the intersection point of the V, and the detour doors swung either inward or outward.

The dingoes were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions previously used to test dogs and wolves. These were the inward or outward detour (with doors closed), inward detour (with doors open), and inward detour (with a human demonstrator). Each dingo was tested four times and then given a fifth trial with the conditions reversed.

The results showed the dingoes completed the detour tasks successfully, and they achieved fewer errors and solved the problems more quickly (in around 20 seconds) than domestic dogs tested in previous research. Unlike domesticated dogs in previous studies, the dingoes did not look to humans for help, and only one dingo even looked at the human when solving the problem. This behavior was much more similar to findings with wolves than for pet dogs. The findings were published in the journal Animal Behaviour. All tests were carried out at the Dingo Discovery Centre in Victoria.

(source)

Distinct populations of snake species on three continents have crashed over the last decade, raising fears that the reptiles may be in global decline, according to a study published recently.The pattern across the eight species monitored was alarmingly similar despite their geographical isolation, which points to a common cause such as climate change, the researchers said.

Other factors known to play a role include habitat loss, pollution, disease, lack of prey and over-exploitation, either for food or trade.The study showed that 11 of 17 snake populations in Britain, France, Italy, Nigeria and Australia dropped off sharply over a four-year period starting in the late 1990s.“Our data revealed an alarming trend,” the authors reported in the British Royal Society journal Biology Letters.

“Two-thirds of the monitored populations collapsed, and none have shown any sign of recovery over nearly a decade since the crash. Unfortunately, there is no reason to expect a reversal of this trend.”Snakes are top predators among reptiles, and a sharp decline in their numbers would likely have serious consequences for many ecosystems.

Earlier studies have turned up dwindling numbers for certain species and in some regions, especially the Mediterranean basin.But the new study presents the first evidence that snakes in the tropics are also in trouble.
Depending on the continent, population declines varied depending on sex, with females disappearing significantly more rapidly than males in most cases.So-called ’sit-and-wait’ foragers — snakes that lie motionless, waiting for prey to come within striking distance — are also more severely depleted in numbers than counterparts which are active hunters.

The fact that the declines observed happened in different corners of the globe over the same short time points to a single problem.“We suggest that there is likely to be a common cause at the root of the declines, and that this indicates a more widespread phenomenon,” the study concluded.

(source)

The Schoenbrunn Zoo in Vienna said on Tuesday it has successfully bred one of the most endangered species of turtle, the Batagur baska, for the first time in captivity.Two baby Batagur turtles were hatched in the zoo’s reptile house at the beginning of May, the zoo said in a statement.

The Batagur baska — which is listed as “critically endangered” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature — is a river terrapin that can grow to up to 60 centimetres (24 inches).At home in the rivers of Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, India and Bangaldesh, its meat and eggs were long considered a delicacy.

But only 20 of them are now known to be in existence, including six in the Schoenbrunn zoo, the statement said.
With the help of Reiner and Peter Praschag, a father-and-son team of turtle experts from Graz, the zoo was able to create “exactly the perfect conditions for the females to lay eggs,” the statement said.

“Without successful breeding programmes in zoos and research stations, the Batagur baska will be extinct within a few years,” Peter Praschag said. “Time is running out very quickly for this species of turtle.”

(source)

Monkeys like watching television, Japanese scientists have revealed in a new study A three-year-old male rhesus macaque thoroughly enjoyed a video of a circus elephant, giraffe and tiger performing, according to scientists from 1 University’s Primate Research Institute, who monitored the monkey’s brain during the experiment.

Scientist used a technique called near-infrared spectroscopy to examine various aspects of the blood flow to the brain of the monkey while it was watching the television images The study found that when the monkey was witnessing the acrobatic performances of circus animals on a television screen, the frontal lobe area of its brain became vigorously active.

The activity in such an area was significant in reflecting the monkey’s pleasure, as the human equivalent is a neurological area associated with triggering delight in a baby when it sees the smile of its mother.

The study, which was published in Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, the Swiss online scientific journal, reflects the latest parallels between the physiological make-up of monkeys and humans.The similarities between humans and monkeys in terms of their bodies as well as their behaviour have been the subject of extensive scientific research.

Previous studies have revealed how monkeys learn in a similar way to humans, in terms of how they acquire and store information.Another recent study conducted by scientists at the same Kyoto University institute showed how mother monkeys teaching their young how to floss their teeth in a similar way to humans.

(source)

Sand dredging in a Borneo wildlife sanctuary is threatening the habitats of endangered pygmy elephants and a rare species of monkey, Malaysian activists said Thursday.Sand-laden barges were once again moving up and down rivers in the Kinabatangan wildlife sanctuary in Sabah state on Borneo island, despite having previously been stopped, they said.

Harjinder Kler from the Hutan environmental group, said the erosion caused by the dredging would affect about 200 pygmy elephants and a few hundred proboscis monkeys living in the sanctuary.”It will cause more and more of their habitat to be eroded and polluted as a result of the siltation from the dredging,” Kler told AFP.

As the Kinabatangan river feeds into the Sulu Sea, she said the silt from the dredging would also pollute the Coral Triangle — a global centre of marine biodiversity spanning Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guniea, East Timor and the Solomon Islands.Most sand dredging works were halted following the creation of the Kinabatangan wildlife sanctuary in 2005, a 26,000 hectare (64,000 acre) area in the north of the state.

Sabah state tourism, culture and environment minister Masidi Manjun said he was surprised that new permits were issued to sand dredging companies and promised a full probe.Masidi said he had last week urged the oil palm industry to donate land along the Kinabatangan riverbank for conservation.”I am very disappointed that such a thing has happened as we have been talking about creating a corridor of life for the wildlife on both sides of the river and this dredging will destroy all our hard work,” he added.

Pygmy elephants on Borneo form a sub-species of the Asian elephant. The creatures have a rounded appearance and are smaller than their mainland cousins.Authorities say there are around 1,500-2,000 left on Borneo island.
The Proboscis monkey is mainly reddish-brown, with grayish limbs and has a distinctive large protruding nose, from which it takes its name.

It lives in the island’s mangrove forests, swamps and jungles but habitat loss and poaching have seen its numbers in the wild dwindle to around 1,000.

(source)

Organizers estimated about 1,000 dogs showed up to enjoy the free music concert.Acclaimed American musician Laurie Anderson wrote a 20 minute piece for the occasion.

Dogs of all shapes and sizes were there.”I’m a music lover and I go to lots and lots of concerts and I thought he might as well too.”Anderson performed with fellow musicians at the free concert as part of the Vivid Live festival in Sydney.While dog owners could hear the music, some of the strange tones and high pitches were certainly geared for the dogs to appreciate rather than their two legged owners.

[Dr. Geoff Golovsky, Veterinarian]:”It’s fantastic, it’s great! It’s a testament to Laurie and her reputation and the organizers of the event. It’s fantastic and there’s been no problem with the dogs. Everyone’s been responsible.”

Anderson appeared to enjoy the day and was very happy with the turn out, especially as it was a special occasion – her birthday.

(source)

A miniature pig named Clive has sent shockwaves through the swine style community with his choice of bold footwear! A resident at the Pennywell Farm in Devon, England, the little pig’s keeper thought dressing him up in cherry red wellington boots would be a good training exercise for Clive, who will one day be adopted by a family.

“Miniature pigs are sold only as pets,” Chris Murray explains “and therefore we know that, as all pets are, they will be played with … its important that nothing particularly worries them or gets stressful.”

So they picked up the adorable red boots — originally made as accessories for a Paddington bear stuffed animal — from a local toy shop and Clive tried them on for size, and a photo op was born.

“Being a little fellow and more sensitive to having wet feet he was quite happy to pop two ‘bears’ of boots on,” says Murray. The mini pig was perfect for this little experiment because most have a “gentle character, easy going attitude,” he adds.

Is the trend catching on with other pigs at the farm? “No, being bespoke footwear they are rather expensive and also fashion, it changes so fast,” jokes Murray.

(source)

Cambodia – Conservationists in Cambodia are celebrating the hatching of a clutch of eggs from one of the world’s most critically endangered animals, the Siamese crocodile.Thirteen infants crawled out of their shells over the weekend in a remote part of the Cardamom Mountains in southwestern Cambodia, following a weekslong vigil by researchers who found them in the jungle.

Experts believe as few as 250 Siamese crocodiles are left in the wild, almost all of them in Cambodia but with a few spread between Laos, Myanmar, Indonesia, Vietnam and possibly Thailand.The operation to protect and hatch the eggs was mounted by United Kingdom-based Fauna and Flora International, for whom conservation of this once-abundant species is a key program.

“Every nest counts,” program manager Adam Starr told Associated Press Television News. “To be able to find a nest is a very big success story, to be able to hatch eggs properly is an even bigger success story.”The nest, with 22 eggs inside, was discovered in the isolated Areng Valley. Fauna and Flora International volunteers removed 15 of them to a safe site and incubated them in a compost heap to replicate the original nest. They left seven behind because they appeared to be unfertilized.

A round-the-clock guard was mounted to keep away predators like monitor lizards. Last weekend the crocodiles began calling from inside the shells, a sure sign they were about to hatch.Within hours 10 emerged — and a further surprise was in store. Three of the eggs left behind at the original nest also hatched. A field coordinator, Sam Han, discovered the squawking baby crocodiles when he went to recover a camera-trap from the site.

“When I first saw the baby crocodiles they stayed and swam together near the near site. They were looking for their mother,” he said. He snapped a few photos of the hatchlings, their noses poking out of the water.To cap the success, the camera-trap yielded two infrared shots of the mother crocodile returning to the nest.The reptiles are now being kept in a water-filled pen in a local village in the jungle-covered mountain range. The indigenous Chouerng people who live there revere crocodiles as forest spirits and consider it taboo to harm them. It’s likely they’ll be looked after for a year before being released into the wild.

But the euphoria is tempered by hard-edged reality. This part of the Areng Valley has been earmarked for a major hydropower project. The conservation group is looking for other areas of similar habitat to release the juveniles when the time comes.”To put these crocodiles back into the Areng Valley could spell certain doom for them,” Starr said.The Siamese crocodile has suffered a massive decline over the last century, because of a high demand for its soft skin. Commercial breeders also brought them to stock farms where they crossed them with larger types of crocodile, producing hybrids which further reduced numbers of the pure Siamese.

In 1992 it was declared “effectively extinct in the wild” before being rediscovered in the remote Cardamoms in Cambodia eight years later.Siamese crocodiles take 15 years to reach sexual maturity, complicating efforts to revive the population. Only a handful of the 13 new crocs are likely to survive long enough to make a long-term impact on numbers.

(source)